Friday, August 19, 2005

a habit to break

Yesterday I was gone. My brain wouldn't work. I was trying to do follow up work from a show I did the night before and I just couldn't get it together. This is when it dawned on me that I needed to give myself a break. Ya know, a break? When people stop for awhile and do something relaxing and maybe just “veg” out in front of TV or go to a bookstore or just for a walk?

Because my mind is always going a zillion miles a minute, I CAN'T just take a break. I don't naturally do this. I have never naturally done this. Busy work. I always have to be busy. It's like that haunted house somewhere on the east coast where they have to keep building stuff to keep the spirits happy. I can tolerate the noise by keeping busy. ANYTHING. And what I do, I end up avoiding doing the stuff that really matters, or getting my brain to a state where it can totally handle doing the things that matter.

Not to say that I haven't been able to get things done. The times I HAVE done things, put my nose to the grindstone is usually when there is an actual DATED deadline and not just something written in a calendar but a real live commitment to something. When I have booked a show or made an appointment... those are things I can't ignore. It is important to make tangible deadlines, meaning actualy events that involve other people.

If I just say or write in my book, I am going to do this on Saturday... I have to get this done by this date... I have to mail this out. It won't be done or atleast it will be very hard to get it done. I have to start making deadlines and dates with myself so that I will keep them.

Part of the trick is to think of something fun to do in an area where I can also accomplish work related things. In the past I have spent a lot of time going out to coffee just to write. I have so many ideas and things written down and for whatever reason, however they were initiated they just remained things written. Any time I have called up and booked something whether it be an appointment or a gig, THEN it get's done.

Part of my ADHD is isolating myself. I don't want to deal with people. I am afraid to deal with people. I get overwhelmed with people. It isn't fun. I have to and want to break this habit and get out there, take the time to rest and restore and take the time to connect and make things happen.

The image above related to this entry is ©2005 by the author of this blog